simple science fair experiments

40+ Super Easy Science Fair Project Ideas For Every Grade And Age

Science is fun ! Less fun: Everything about Science Fair season . Those two fold project boards give wicked paper cuts. Teachers seem to want a stressful amount of work put into each project. And there’s never anything cool about the last minute ideas you use when grasping at straws on the Sunday night before it’s due. Life just got easier, though. We’ve rounded up the best science experiments for each level of school so that maybe, just maybe, this year’s fair won’t cause too many tears (from you or from the kids).

Note: We’ve listed experiments in each section from easiest to the most advanced, time consuming or expensive.

Elementary School Science Fair Projects

1. Catapult time — What kind of objects fly further?

Think weight over shape.

2. How Can the Shape of a Boat Affect How Much Weight It Hauls?

Have kids create simple boats using cardboard and foil. Take note of how the shape and size of boats effects what they can hold and still stay afloat.

3. Water Drop Microscope

Microscopes are cool and science-y on their own, but laying out how water works to magnify things adds another level of, well, science.

4. Chromatography Butterfly Fun

Grab judges’ attentions with this gorgeous experiment in separating colors.

5. Can Changing Rubber-band Size Change the Speed/Distance of Travel on a LEGO Car?

This is a fun way to put your kiddo’s LEGO collection to good use!

Randy Martinez/Reshot

6. Which Simple Machines Do We Use Most?

After explaining what each simple machine is and does, have your kids “collect data” on the types they use throughout their day. Consider having them walk through some of the more surprising simple machines in life.

7. Why Do Skittles Dissolve in Water? ‘

We know all sugar dissolves in water. But, does your child?

8. Kaleidoscope Fun

How many times did you play with your kaleidoscope as a kid and did you ever look into the physics involved? Your kids might enjoy making their own in the name of a school science project.

9. DIY Speakers

Ever need to boost the sound from your phone? You probably know the mug trick, then. Explore how different vessel shapes amplify sound.

10. Spinning Top Splatter Fun

Some paint, some tops and a little bit of research is all you need for a colorful lesson on centrifugal force.

11. Make Your Own Hovercraft

Say good-bye to one of your beloved mix CDs and help your kiddo experiment with aerodynamics .

12. How does different types of milk effect Magic Milk results?

Magic milk is so fun. Why not turn it into a science coloring experiment or science fair project?

13. DIY Bouncy Balls

Catch ’em, if you can!

14. Overnight Crystals

If you’ve got Epsom salt, this cool science experiment won’t even require a trip to the store.

15. Tiny Dancer, Simple Motor

You might need to buy some copper wire for this, but it’s totally worth it for the cute factor alone.

16. Heat Sensitive Slime

Take your slime game up a notch and win the science fair all in one night.

17. How does over/under watering affect seeds?

This is pretty easy. Just use that old school plastic cup and paper towel seed growing trick, but have your child experiment with how much water they use.

18. Rubber Rainbow Eggs

This takes a couple days and could end up being messy , but it’s another eye-pleasing experiment.

19. How Do Plants Absorb Their Water?

Remember sticking celery or daisies in colored water? Same concept.

20. Which Kind of Trees Lose Their Leaves Fastest?

This one is all about collection and observation, so make plenty of time to start this.

Middle School Science Fair Projects

21. Density Tower

This tower of liquids is like the next-level oil and vinegar experiment.

22. Which Reacts Faster: Small Chunks or Large Tabs of Alka-Seltzer?

Did you know that the dissolution of an Alka-Seltzer tab can be qualified as both an explosion and a chemical reaction? Let your kids explore different theories on how to make it dissolve the fastest.

23. How Do Submarines Work?

Help build a water bottle submarine , then explore how they dive and resurface by changing their buoyancy.

24. Does Weight Affect A Drone’s Battery Life?

Remember that drone you bought your kid for their last birthday that they no longer play with? Of course you do. Put it to good use!

26. Create A Simple Circuit

The hardest part of this project will be finding D batteries in your house.

27. What Makes The Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie?

Need a bunch of holiday cookies made? Let your kids experiment with butter temperature, baking soda and baking powder ratios and other variables within a cookie recipe. Nearly all results will be delicious, but it still counts as a science experiment.

28. DIY Stethoscope

This requires a trip to the hardware store. But, it’s a great way to discuss how sound travels and how stethoscopes work .

29. Can You DIY Yogurt?

Know anyone who makes their own yogurt or Kombucha? This is a great way to discover the science behind bacteria growth (and maybe get your kids to start washing their hands).

30. Can A Cricket Tell The Weather?

Spend a few days or weeks having kids compare the chirps of crickets to the temperature fluctuations outside.

31. Building Materials: Which Metals Are Most Corrosive?

Chances are good that you have plenty of different types of metals readily available (think: screws, silverware, change, foil, etc.), all you need is the time to test things out.

High School Science Fair Projects

32. Do Adults Still Know What They Learned In High School?

Have your kids collect questions from various exams and then administer the new tests to adult friends and family members from a wide range of fields.

33. Can I Change The Colors Of A Bonfire Flame?

Tossing different (non-toxic) litter into a bonfire (or even holding it over a candle) can cause the flames to change color.

34. What’s The Most Effective Natural Mosquito Repellent?

Don’t volunteer as a test subject.

35. How Does Social Media Usage Vary Between Generations?

This basically just requires a lot of research using their own (and possibly your) social media accounts to see what and when each age group is posting.

36.How Can You Speed Up Homemade Ice Cream?

Between rock salt and actual ice cream ingredients, this is a bit of a financial investment. The good news is that you can drown your concerns in ice cream.

37. Is My Mom’s Gold Jewelry Real?

Some chemicals found in gold and silver can have toxic properties that are harmful to bacteria. Can your pretty necklace kill ? Find out.

38. How Can You Keep A Parked Car Cool?

Test temperatures in various colored cars, as well as the effectiveness of sun shades and parking under trees.

39. Does Tire Air Pressure Really Change Gas Mileage?

Basically, an excellent science project and life lesson in car maintenance for your teenager all in one.

40. How Safe Is Your Microwave?

Track plant growth over several weeks — keep one place near the microwave and one further away.

41. Which Type of Bread Molds Fastest?

Pro-Tip: Have them store their science project bread somewhere far, far away from where you keep your actual bread.

42. Could Hospitals Recycle Their Bio-hazard Collection Resources?

Blood vials, urine collection cups, barf buckets: They’re all used as single-use plastics. But, could they be properly sterilized and reused? You’re probably going to need to know people in the right places to make this work, but it’d be a very cool experiment.

Related: Science Teachers, I Love You, But Science Projects Can Go to Hell

This article was originally published on November 14, 2019

100+ Easy & FUN Science Fair Project Ideas

This post may contain affiliate links.

Looking for FUN   science projects for kids ? Science is one of our favorite subjects around here. I have a huge list of over 100 easy science experiments for kids. You can use these classic science fair ideas when helping your child create their next science fair project. Kids will love these fun projects and experiments!

See my Scientific Method Worksheets and Posters to help teach the process of the scientific method including these 6 steps:

• Ask a question
• Make a hypothesis
• Record Data

These science fair project ideas can be used for may grade levels including elementary school aged kids, middle school aged kids and some would even work for high school. Many of these science activities are quick and easy to put together and will not break the bank either.

I divided the science fair project ideas out the best I could by topic and category for you. That way if there is a certain interest, you can find just what you are looking for. You will find science fair experiment ideas in biology, physics, chemistry, electricity, magnetism, earth science, and more!

All of these simple experiment ideas can be used in some way to create an awesome science fair project. Most are from my site, but many are from some other great bloggers! Click the links to get instructions and demonstrations on how these projects work.

Want more ideas? See also my post with 200 + Elementary STEM Projects .

Easy Energy and Physics Science Fair Projects

Kinetic Energy with Rubber Band Boats – this science project is a blast to create with kids!

Kinetic Energy- Shooting Star Spinner – This is a fun one on kinetic and potential energy

Kinetic Energy Gravity Spinner  – Do this experiment to show gravity!

Perpetual Motion Candle See Saw – This is a cool way to learn about motion!

How Does a String Telephone Work?  ~Raising Life Long Learners

Which Cup Will Keep Water Cold the Longest?  ~ Really, Are you Serious?

Light Refraction Science Experiment  ~ Look We’re Learning

Heat Conduction Experiment  ~ Look We’re Learning

Color Changing Sensory Bottle  ~ The Science Kiddo

Exploring Magnetic Fields

Magnet Pendulum

Levitating Magnets

Train Chain Reactions

Static Electricity Slime

What are Electrolytes?

Color and Light Reflection and Refraction Experiments

Simple Machines- Gears

Light Box Magic  ~ True Aim Education

Balloon Air Pressure Experiment  ~ Darcy and Brian

Make A Giant Catapult

Technology & Mechanical Science Projects for Kids

Is it Conductive? – test different objects to see if they conduct electricity.

How to Make a Coin Battery  – use coins to power a light!

How to Make a Lemon Battery – the power of lemon juice is pretty amazing.

What to Make a Dirt Battery – a battery out of dirt?  yup!

How do you Make a Potato Battery? ~from STEAM Powered Family

How to Make a Hydraulic Elevator ~ Make a water powered elevator

How to Make a Bubble Blower Machine

Paper Circuits – learn about circuits and electricity with this simple project.

Solar Powered Lego Car – harness the power of the sun!

Make an EASY Water Pump Sprinkler

Chemistry Science Projects for Kids With Chemical Reactions

Cabbage Juice pH Experiment – test different chemicals and substances to see their pH levels.

How too Make an Erupting Volcano (with salt dough)

How Do you Clean Pennies?

Why Do Baking Soda and Vinegar React?

How to Make Dry Ice Bubbles

Does it Dissolve?

How Do you Grow Crystals? (borax crystals)

Elephant Toothpaste with Two Types of Peroxide

What is Non-Newtonian Fluid?  (Oobleck Experiments)

Does it Rust? Oxidation Experiment

Rainbow Absorption

Film Canister Rockets

Blooming Paper Flowers

Dancing Acorns  ~ Hands-on Teaching Ideas

States of Matter Experiments – solids, liquids and gases

Rubber Bouncing Egg Experiment

Color Changing Flowers Experiment  ~ Messy Little Monster

Paper Burning Experiment  ~ Preschool Powol Packets

How to Make a Paper Mache Erupting Volcano  ~ Red Ted Art

Mentos and Soda Geysers

Anatomy Science Fair Projects

How Do Ears Work?

Play Dough Anatomy

Animal Digestion Experiment  ~ Schooling a Monkey

Why We Need Muscles & Bones  ~ I Can Teach My Child

How Do Lungs Work?   ~ Sciene Sparks

DNA Experiment

Earth Science and Nature Science Fair Projects

How do Earthquakes Happen ?

Can You Build a House to Resist an Earthquake?

Make your Own Crystal Rock Candy Geodes

What are Convection Currents?

Study surface tension with Water Strider Insects

How are Rainbows made?

How to Clean Dirty Water

Geology Experiment: Stalactites and Stalagmites Formation

What’s In My Water? 

What are Shells Made of?

How Can We Stay Dry During the Rain  ~ Pink Stripey Socks

What Surfaces in my House are the Dirtiest? Mold Science

Density Experiment with different liquids, also tests buoyancy!

Why Do Leaves Change Colors? Leaf Chromatography Experiment

Rising Tide Experiment

Soda Bottle Compost  ~ Busy Mommy Media

Build a Sun Shelter  ~ Buggy and Buddy

Hurricane Model Experiment  ~Preschool Powol Packets

Easy Condensation Experiment  – Look We’re Learning

Salt Water Density Experiment  ~ The Science Kiddo

Plant Science- Observing Bulb Growth  ~Buggy and Buddy

How to Make a Compass  ~ Parenting Chaos

Why do Pinecones Open & Close?  ~ Parenting Chaos

Leaf Transpiration Experiment – how leaves breathe, use a plastic bag to collect the moisture from a tree.

Pumpkin Petri Dishes  ~ Hands-on Teaching Ideas

Rainy Day Science – learn about filtering rain water

Making a Solar Still – harness the power of the sun with this cool science experiment!

Make Your Own Human Sun Dial

How are Sedimentary Rocks & Fossils Made? 

How Do Sharks Float?  ~ Preschool Powol Packets

How to Make Square Bubbles

What Soil is Best for Growing Seeds?  ~ Schooling a Monkey

Simple Food Science Fair Project Ideas

Want a food-based science fair project?  These ideas are fun and edible, too!  Who doesn’t love learning with food?

Food Science: Make a Loaf of Bread in a Bag

Why Does Gelatin Not Set with Certain Fruits ?

What Foods will Grow the most Mold?

Cake Chemistry Experiment

Popcorn and Salt Science Experiment  ~ Awe Filled Homemaker

What Prevents Apples from Browning?

How to Make Plastic with Gelatin  ~ STEAM Powered Family

Melting Ice Science Experiment  ~ The Chaos and the Clutter

Pie Crust Experiment

Food Chemistry~ Turn Juice into Noodles !

Green Eggs Food Chemistry (no food coloring required!)

How Strong are Eggs?  ~ Hands-On Teaching Ideas

Make Solar S’mores

Hot Chocolate Science Experiment  ~ Creative Family Fun

Bread Mold Science Project  ~ Schooling a Monkey

Other Fun & Easy Science Project Ideas

Toilet Paper Comparisons   ~ Pink Stripey Socks

Egg Drop Challenge 

Press n’ Seal vs. Saran Wrap

Hockey Science Experiment  ~ Creative Family Fun

I hope you found an idea that will work for your little scientists next science fair project. I’d love to hear what you did and see pictures of the finished project!

Former school teacher turned homeschool mom of 4 kids. Loves creating awesome hands-on creative learning ideas to make learning engaging and memorable for all kids!

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Science Bob

• Experiments
• Science Fair Ideas
• Science Q&A
• Research Help
• Experiment Blog

Okay, this is the hardest part of the whole project…picking your topic. But here are some ideas to get you started. Even if you don’t like any, they may inspire you to come up with one of your own. Remember, check all project ideas with your teacher and parents, and don’t do any project that would hurt or scare people or animals. Good luck!

• Does music affect on animal behavior?
• Does the color of food or drinks affect whether or not we like them?
• Where are the most germs in your school? ( CLICK for more info. )
• Does music have an affect on plant growth?
• Which kind of food do dogs (or any animal) prefer best?
• Which paper towel brand is the strongest?
• What is the best way to keep an ice cube from melting?
• What level of salt works best to hatch brine shrimp?
• Can the food we eat affect our heart rate?
• How effective are child-proof containers and locks.
• Can background noise levels affect how well we concentrate?
• Does acid rain affect the growth of aquatic plants?
• What is the best way to keep cut flowers fresh the longest?
• Does the color of light used on plants affect how well they grow?
• What plant fertilizer works best?
• Does the color of a room affect human behavior?
• Do athletic students have better lung capacity?
• What brand of battery lasts the longest?
• Does the type of potting soil used in planting affect how fast the plant grows?
• What type of food allow mold to grow the fastest?
• Does having worms in soil help plants grow faster?
• Can plants grow in pots if they are sideways or upside down?
• Does the color of hair affect how much static electricity it can carry? (test with balloons)
• How much weight can the surface tension of water hold?
• Can some people really read someone else’s thoughts?
• Which soda decays fallen out teeth the most?
• What light brightness makes plants grow the best?
• Does the color of birdseed affect how much birds will eat it?
• Do natural or chemical fertilizers work best?
• Can mice learn? (you can pick any animal)
• Can people tell artificial smells from real ones?
• What brands of bubble gum produce the biggest bubbles?
• Does age affect human reaction times?
• What is the effect of salt on the boiling temperature of water?
• Does shoe design really affect an athlete’s jumping height?
• What type of grass seed grows the fastest?
• Can animals see in the dark better than humans?

Didn’t see one you like? Don’t worry…look over them again and see if they give you an idea for your own project that will work for you. Remember, find something that interests you, and have fun with it.

To download and print this list of ideas CLICK HERE .

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76 Easy Science Experiments Using Materials You Already Have On Hand

Because science doesn’t have to be complicated.

If there is one thing that is guaranteed to get your students excited, it’s a good science experiment! While some experiments require expensive lab equipment or dangerous chemicals, there are plenty of cool projects you can do with regular household items. We’ve rounded up a big collection of easy science experiments that anybody can try, and kids are going to love them!

Easy Chemistry Science Experiments

Easy physics science experiments, easy biology and environmental science experiments, easy engineering experiments and stem challenges.

Also, be sure to grab your free printable science experiment recording sheet to use with any of the experiments below.

1. Taste the rainbow

Teach your students about diffusion while creating a beautiful and tasty rainbow. Tip: Have extra Skittles on hand so your class can eat a few!

Learn more: Skittles Diffusion

2. Crystallize sweet treats

Crystal science experiments teach kids about supersaturated solutions. This one is easy to do at home, and the results are absolutely delicious!

Learn more: Rock Candy Experiment

3. Make a volcano erupt

This classic experiment demonstrates a chemical reaction between baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and vinegar (acetic acid), which produces carbon dioxide gas, water, and sodium acetate.

Learn more: Baking Soda Volcano (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

4. Make elephant toothpaste

This fun project uses yeast and a hydrogen peroxide solution to create overflowing “elephant toothpaste.” Tip: Add an extra fun layer by having kids create toothpaste wrappers for plastic bottles.

Learn more: Elephant Toothpaste (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

5. Blow the biggest bubbles you can

Add a few simple ingredients to dish soap solution to create the largest bubbles you’ve ever seen! Kids learn about surface tension as they engineer these bubble-blowing wands.

Learn more: Giant Soap Bubbles (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

6. Demonstrate the “magic” leakproof bag

All you need is a zip-top plastic bag, sharp pencils, and water to blow your kids’ minds. Once they’re suitably impressed, teach them how the “trick” works by explaining the chemistry of polymers.

Learn more: Leakproof Bag (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

7. Use apple slices to learn about oxidation

Have students make predictions about what will happen to apple slices when immersed in different liquids, then put those predictions to the test. Have them record their observations.

Learn more: Apple Oxidation

8. Float a marker man

Their eyes will pop out of their heads when you “levitate” a stick figure right off the table! This experiment works due to the insolubility of dry-erase marker ink in water, combined with the lighter density of the ink.

Learn more: Floating Marker Man

9. Discover density with hot and cold water

There are a lot of easy science experiments you can do with density. This one is extremely simple, involving only hot and cold water and food coloring, but the visuals make it appealing and fun.

Learn more: Hot and Cold Water Science Experiment

10. Layer more liquids

This density demo is a little more complicated, but the effects are spectacular. Slowly layer liquids like honey, dish soap, water, and rubbing alcohol in a glass. Kids will be amazed when the liquids float one on top of the other like magic (except it is really science).

Learn more: Layered Liquids

11. Grow a carbon sugar snake

Easy science experiments can still have impressive results. This eye-popping chemical reaction demonstration only requires simple supplies like sugar, baking soda, and sand.

Learn more: Carbon Sugar Snake

12. Mix up some slime

Tell kids you’re going to make slime at home, and watch their eyes light up! There are a variety of ways to make slime, so try a few different recipes to find the one you like best.

Learn more: 4 Slime Recipes (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

13. Make homemade bouncy balls

These homemade bouncy balls are easy to make since all you need is glue, food coloring, borax powder, cornstarch, and warm water. You’ll want to store them inside a container like a plastic egg because they will flatten out over time.

Learn more: Make-Your-Own Bouncy Balls

14. Create eggshell chalk

Eggshells contain calcium, the same material that makes chalk. Grind them up and mix them with flour, water, and food coloring to make your very own sidewalk chalk.

Learn more: Eggshell Chalk

15. Make naked eggs

This is so cool! Use vinegar to dissolve the calcium carbonate in an eggshell to discover the membrane underneath that holds the egg together. Then, use the “naked” egg for another easy science experiment that demonstrates osmosis .

Learn more: Egg and Vinegar Experiment (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

16. Turn milk into plastic

This sounds a lot more complicated than it is, but don’t be afraid to give it a try. Use simple kitchen supplies to create plastic polymers from plain old milk. Sculpt them into cool shapes when you’re done.

17. Test pH using cabbage

Teach kids about acids and bases without needing pH test strips. Simply boil some red cabbage and use the resulting water to test various substances—acids turn red and bases turn green.

Learn more: Cabbage pH

18. Clean some old coins

Use common household items to make old oxidized coins clean and shiny again in this simple chemistry experiment. Ask kids to predict (hypothesize) which will work best, then expand the learning by doing some research to explain the results.

Learn more: Cleaning Coins

19. Pull an egg into a bottle

This classic easy science experiment never fails to delight. Use the power of air pressure to suck a hard-boiled egg into a jar, no hands required.

Learn more: Egg in a Bottle

20. Blow up a balloon without blowing

Chances are good you probably did easy science experiments like this when you were in school. The baking soda and vinegar balloon experiment demonstrates the reactions between acids and bases when you fill a bottle with vinegar and a balloon with baking soda.

Learn more: Baking Soda and Vinegar Balloon (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

21. Assemble a DIY lava lamp

This 1970s trend is back—as an easy science experiment! This activity combines acid-base reactions with density for a totally groovy result.

22. Explore how sugary drinks affect teeth

The calcium content of eggshells makes them a great stand-in for teeth. Use eggs to explore how soda and juice can stain teeth and wear down the enamel. Expand your learning by trying different toothpaste-and-toothbrush combinations to see how effective they are.

Learn more: Sugar and Teeth Experiment

23. Mummify a hot dog

If your kids are fascinated by the Egyptians, they’ll love learning to mummify a hot dog! No need for canopic jars , just grab some baking soda and get started.

24. Extinguish flames with carbon dioxide

This is a fiery twist on acid-base experiments. Light a candle and talk about what fire needs in order to survive. Then, create an acid-base reaction and “pour” the carbon dioxide to extinguish the flame. The CO2 gas acts like a liquid, suffocating the fire.

25. Send secret messages with invisible ink

Turn your kids into secret agents. Write messages with a paintbrush dipped in lemon juice, then hold the paper over a heat source and watch the invisible become visible as oxidation goes to work.

Learn more: Invisible Ink

26. Create dancing popcorn

This is a fun version of the classic baking soda and vinegar experiment, perfect for the younger crowd. The bubbly mixture causes popcorn to dance around in the water.

Learn more: Dancing Popcorn (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

27. Shoot a soda geyser sky-high

You’ve always wondered if this really works, so it’s time to find out for yourself. Kids will marvel at the chemical reaction that sends diet soda shooting high in the air when Mentos are added.

Learn more: Mentos and Coke Experiment (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

28. Send a teabag flying

Hot air rises, and this experiment can prove it. You’ll want to supervise kids with fire, of course. For added safety, try this one outside.

Learn more: Flying Tea Bags

29. Create magic milk

This fun and easy science experiment demonstrates principles related to surface tension, molecular interactions, and fluid dynamics.

Learn more: Magic Milk Experiment (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

30. Watch the water rise

Learn about Charles’s law with this simple experiment. As the candle burns, using up oxygen and heating the air in the glass, the water rises as if by magic.

Learn more: Rising Water Experiment

31. Learn about capillary action

Kids will be amazed as they watch the colored water move from glass to glass, and you’ll love the easy and inexpensive setup. Gather some water, paper towels, and food coloring to teach the scientific magic of capillary action.

Learn more: Capillary Action

32. Give a balloon a beard

Equally educational and fun, this experiment will teach kids about static electricity using everyday materials. Kids will get a kick out of creating beards on their balloon people!

Learn more: Static Electricity

33. Find your way with a DIY compass

Here’s an old classic that never fails to impress. Magnetize a needle, float it on the water’s surface, and it will always point north.

Learn more: How To Make a Compass

34. Crush a can using air pressure

Sure, it’s easy to crush a soda can with your bare hands, but what if you could do it without touching it at all? That’s the power of air pressure!

35. Tell time using the sun

While people use clocks or even phones to tell time today, there was a time when a sundial was the best means to do that. Kids can create their own sundials using everyday materials like cardboard and pencils.

Learn more: Make Your Own Sundial

36. Launch a bottle rocket

Grab a cork, plastic bottle, cardboard, duct tape, and bike pump to learn about the laws of motion.

Learn more: Bottle Rocket (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

37. Make sparks with steel wool

All you need is steel wool and a 9-volt battery to perform this science demo that’s bound to make their eyes light up! Kids learn about chain reactions, chemical changes, and more.

Learn more: Steel Wool Electricity

38. Levitate a Ping-Pong ball

This experiment is really all about Bernoulli’s principle. You only need plastic bottles, bendy straws, and Ping-Pong balls to make the science magic happen.

39. Whip up a tornado in a bottle

There are plenty of versions of this classic experiment out there, but we love this one because it sparkles. Kids learn about a vortex and what it takes to create one.

Learn more: Tornado in a Bottle

40. Monitor air pressure with a DIY barometer

This simple but effective DIY science project teaches kids about air pressure and meteorology. They’ll have fun tracking and predicting the weather with their very own barometer.

Learn more: How To Make a Barometer

41. Peer through an ice magnifying glass

Students will certainly get a thrill out of seeing how an everyday object like a piece of ice can be used as a magnifying glass. Be sure to use purified or distilled water since tap water will have impurities in it that will cause distortion.

Learn more: Ice Magnifying Glass

42. String up some sticky ice

Can you lift an ice cube using just a piece of string? This quick experiment teaches you how. Use a little salt to melt the ice and then refreeze the ice with the string attached.

Learn more: Sticky Ice

43. “Flip” a drawing with water

Light refraction causes some really cool effects, and there are multiple easy science experiments you can do with it. This one uses refraction to “flip” a drawing; you can also try the famous “disappearing penny” trick .

Learn more: Light Refraction With Water

44. Color some flowers

We love how simple this project is to re-create since all you’ll need are some white carnations, food coloring, glasses, and water. The end result is just so beautiful!

45. Use glitter to fight germs

Everyone knows that glitter is just like germs—it gets everywhere and is so hard to get rid of! Use that to your advantage and show kids how soap fights glitter and germs.

46. Re-create the water cycle in a bag

You can do so many easy science experiments with a simple zip-top bag. Fill one partway with water and set it on a sunny windowsill to see how the water evaporates up and eventually “rains” down.

Learn more: Water Cycle in a Bag and Water Cycle Lesson Slides and Video

47. Learn about plant transpiration

Your backyard is a terrific place for easy science experiments. Grab a plastic bag and rubber band to learn how plants get rid of excess water they don’t need, a process known as transpiration.

Learn more: Plant Transpiration

48. Clean up an oil spill

Before conducting this experiment, teach your students about engineers who solve environmental problems like oil spills. Then, have your students use provided materials to clean the oil spill from their oceans.

Learn more: Oil Spill

49. Construct a pair of model lungs

Kids get a better understanding of the respiratory system when they build model lungs using a plastic water bottle and some balloons. You can modify the experiment to demonstrate the effects of smoking too.

Learn more: Lung Science Experiment

50. Experiment with limestone rocks

Kids  love to collect rocks, and there are plenty of easy science experiments you can do with them. In this one, pour vinegar over a rock to see if it bubbles. If it does, you’ve found limestone!

Learn more: Limestone Experiments

51. Turn a bottle into a rain gauge

All you need is a plastic bottle, a ruler, and a permanent marker to make your own rain gauge. Monitor your measurements and see how they stack up against meteorology reports in your area.

Learn more: How To Make a Rain Gauge

52. Build up towel mountains

This clever demonstration helps kids understand how some landforms are created. Use layers of towels to represent rock layers and boxes for continents. Then pu-u-u-sh and see what happens!

Learn more: Towel Mountains

53. Take a play dough core sample

Learn about the layers of the earth by building them out of play dough, then take a core sample with a straw. ( Love Play-Doh? Get more learning ideas here. )

Learn more: Play Dough Core Sampling

54. Project the stars on your ceiling

Use the video lesson in the link below to learn why stars are only visible at night. Then create a DIY star projector to explore the concept hands-on.

Learn more: DIY Star Projector

55. Make it rain

Use shaving cream and food coloring to simulate clouds and rain. This is an easy science experiment little ones will beg to do over and over.

Learn more: Shaving Cream Rain

56. Blow up your fingerprint

This is such a cool (and easy!) way to look at fingerprint patterns. Inflate a balloon a bit, use some ink to put a fingerprint on it, then blow it up big to see your fingerprint in detail.

57. Snack on a DNA model

Twizzlers, gumdrops, and a few toothpicks are all you need to make this super-fun (and yummy!) DNA model.

Learn more: Edible DNA Model

58. Dissect a flower

Take a nature walk and find a flower or two. Then bring them home and take them apart to discover all the different parts of flowers.

59. Craft smartphone speakers

No Bluetooth speaker? No problem! Put together your own from paper cups and toilet paper tubes.

Learn more: Smartphone Speakers

60. Race a balloon-powered car

Kids will be amazed when they learn they can put together this awesome racer using cardboard and bottle-cap wheels. The balloon-powered “engine” is so much fun too.

Learn more: Balloon-Powered Car

61. Build a Ferris wheel

You’ve probably ridden on a Ferris wheel, but can you build one? Stock up on wood craft sticks and find out! Play around with different designs to see which one works best.

Learn more: Craft Stick Ferris Wheel

62. Design a phone stand

There are lots of ways to craft a DIY phone stand, which makes this a perfect creative-thinking STEM challenge.

63. Conduct an egg drop

Put all their engineering skills to the test with an egg drop! Challenge kids to build a container from stuff they find around the house that will protect an egg from a long fall (this is especially fun to do from upper-story windows).

Learn more: Egg Drop Challenge Ideas

64. Engineer a drinking-straw roller coaster

STEM challenges are always a hit with kids. We love this one, which only requires basic supplies like drinking straws.

Learn more: Straw Roller Coaster

65. Build a solar oven

Explore the power of the sun when you build your own solar ovens and use them to cook some yummy treats. This experiment takes a little more time and effort, but the results are always impressive. The link below has complete instructions.

Learn more: Solar Oven (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

66. Build a Da Vinci bridge

There are plenty of bridge-building experiments out there, but this one is unique. It’s inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s 500-year-old self-supporting wooden bridge. Learn how to build it at the link, and expand your learning by exploring more about Da Vinci himself.

Learn more: Da Vinci Bridge

67. Step through an index card

This is one easy science experiment that never fails to astonish. With carefully placed scissor cuts on an index card, you can make a loop large enough to fit a (small) human body through! Kids will be wowed as they learn about surface area.

68. Stand on a pile of paper cups

Combine physics and engineering and challenge kids to create a paper cup structure that can support their weight. This is a cool project for aspiring architects.

Learn more: Paper Cup Stack

69. Test out parachutes

Gather a variety of materials (try tissues, handkerchiefs, plastic bags, etc.) and see which ones make the best parachutes. You can also find out how they’re affected by windy days or find out which ones work in the rain.

Learn more: How To Make a Parachute

70. Recycle newspapers into an engineering challenge

It’s amazing how a stack of newspapers can spark such creative engineering. Challenge kids to build a tower, support a book, or even build a chair using only newspaper and tape!

Learn more: Newspaper STEM Challenge

71. Use rubber bands to sound out acoustics

Explore the ways that sound waves are affected by what’s around them using a simple rubber-band “guitar.” (Kids absolutely love playing with these!)

Learn more: Sound Experiment

72. Assemble a better umbrella

Challenge students to engineer the best possible umbrella from various household supplies. Encourage them to plan, draw blueprints, and test their creations using the scientific method.

Learn more: Umbrella STEM Challenge

73. Grow rock candy

Turn science into a sweet treat by making rock candy. Dissolve sugar in hot water to create a solution, then let it cool as crystals slowly form on a stick or string. The best part is that the kids get to eat their experiment when it’s done!

74. Create a rain cloud in a jar

Bring weather science indoors with this fun hands-on project. Use shaving cream to mimic clouds and add drops of food coloring to simulate rain. It’s a great way to explore the water cycle without even having to step outside!

75. Brighten up with rainbow celery

Make your science lesson more vibrant with a splash of color. Drop celery stalks into glasses of water with food dye, and watch as the beautiful colors travel up through the stems.

76. Safely view a solar eclipse

Teach your students about the solar eclipse, and help them safely view this exciting event with just a few simple materials.

Learn more: Solar Eclipse Viewer (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

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30+ Science Fair Projects That Will Wow The Crowd

February 20, 2022 by Ana Dziengel Leave a Comment

Are your children signing up for the science fair this year? Have you begun the arduous task of looking for  science fair projects  that might pique your child’s interest? Or do you have a child who already has ten ideas they have been dying to try?

The science fair is a great school tradition and a memorable experience for many children (I still remember the life size plaster penguin I made in 5th grade), and if your school doesn’t conduct one, consider starting it!

This year if you are on the lookout for science fair projects I challenge you to think beyond the vinegar volcano (we have “Volcano Alley” at our school because there are so many volcano projects every year). I know, vinegar volcanoes are like a rite of childhood passage, but there are so many other amazing science ideas out there! I have compiled a list of 30+ science fair projects for kids based on their grade level below. Before we get started I wanted to share some tips for getting the most out of the science fair.

This post contains affiliate links.

Science Fair Tips

• Don’t do the project for your child! This is my number one tip. Many parents have a tendency to jump in and make children’s work “more presentable” or to assist their child so much in the project that it’s hard to know who actually did it. Listen I get it, science is fun and you want your child to have a wonderful presentation…but that’s not really what the science fair is about. It’s about your child learning how to do scientific research and present their findings in their own way. Think of yourself as a helpful guide NOT an assistant, and definitely not the boss.
• Choose something age  appropriate  When your child is choosing the science fair idea they want to try, make sure it’s age appropriate. Sure we’d all love to make a working robot but there’s nothing more frustrating than trying a project that may be too advanced for the skills of your child. And that’s when a lot of parents resort to doing the project instead. Not a good solution. So make sure your child is capable of completing the steps them self.
• Make a list of three ideas Have your child select three science fair project ideas and then go over the choices with them. Make sure they understand the steps involved in each project and wether or not they feel comfortable in executing those steps on their own with your guidance.
• Follow your child’s interests Encourage your children to explore some ideas based on interests they already have. Here’s a list of science books with projects based on things your child already loves!
• STEAM it up! STEAM projects rock the science fair!!! A great way to get kids to become more familiar with STEAM concepts it to pick science projects that crossover into art, math, engineering and more!  Two STEAM books to consider are  STEAM Kids Play and Learn (my book!) and   STEAM Kids ebook.  Both books will get you started with some great ideas!
• Read our Science Fair Mini Guide I created this mini guide to walk kids  through all the steps for completing their science fair project. You can check out the full guide here: 

Speak like a scientist! Science Vocabulary to use in your presentation

We’re almost ready to get to the projects! Before we begin, let’s review some science terms. In fact, using these terms in your science fair presentation will be sure to impress your friends and adults!

• When you watch, see, or notice something you are making an observation
• When you ask who, what, when, where, why, or how, you are forming a question  
• When you read a book or an article about your observation, you are doing research
• When you make a guess based on your observation, question, and research, you are forming a hypothesis
• When you test your hypothesis, you are conducting an experiment
• When you change one factor in your experiment at a time while keeping everything else the same, you are changing a variable
• When you take notes in your journal and write down what you see happening in your experiment, you are logging data  
• When you examine, or look at, your data, you are analyzing it
• When you are able answer your question, you are coming to a conclusion

30+ Science Fair Projects for Kids 

Now let’s get on with the science fair projects! I have organized the projects by age/grade level. Click the titles to be taken to the project instructions, unless the instructions follow below.

If you’d rather have the science fair projects list organized by subject you can download our hyperlinked PDF by subscribing to our email list here .

Kindergarten-1st Grade Science Fair Projects

1.  lemon volcano.

Skip the vinegar volcano and try lemon juice! Kids will learn about the chemical reaction between citric acid and baking soda.

2. DIY Bouncy Balls

Learn about polymers while making a DIY toy!  This variation on slime uses a few simple ingredients. <span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;” class=”mce_SELRES_start”></span>

3. Shiny Pennies

A classic experiment that kids love is Shiny Pennies . Collect dirty tarnished pennies and have kids soak them for a minimum of 5 minutes in different acidic liquids. We used vinegar, salsa, lime juice, and lemon juice.  After soaking, remove them from the solution and rinse in soapy water then compare which ones are shiniest. Take notes on which acid worked best to shine the pennies. Variation: Don’t rinse all the pennies after removing them from the different liquids. Can you see a difference in the rinsed vs. non-rinsed pennies? Leave them overnight and see if any of the copper oxidizes (turns green) on the non-rinsed pennies.

pictured above: Regrowing vegetable scraps, DIY Stethoscope, Simple Circuit

4.  Regrow Vegetable Scraps

Did you know you can start an entire garden from vegetable scraps? It works indoors too!

5.  DIY Stethoscope

Make your own stethoscope from a few hardware store parts.

6.  Simple Circuit

For all tech centered kids: Learn how to make a very simple circuit from easy to find items.

pictured above: Chromatography Butterflies, Rainbow Rubber Eggs, Exploring Density with Salt

7. Chromatography 3 Ways

Chromatography is the process of separating mixtures, in this case we will be separating ink into different colors.

• How to do the Classic Chromatography Project The simplest kids chromatography project using paper towels
• Chromatography Art Turn chromatography strips into a woven paper art project!
• Chromatography Butterflies Learn how to separate colors and create a sweet science based craft!

8. Exploring Density with Salt

Why don’t oil and water mix? Find out with this density experiment inspired by Lava Lamps!

9. Rainbow Rubber Eggs

Rubber eggs are another classic science project that kids love. And it’s so easy! I mean does dropping an egg in vinegar and coming back in a few days sound do-able?

2nd-4th grade Science Fair Projects

10. magic rollback can.

You just can’t get rid of this physics project! This project explores the difference between potential and kinetic energy. <span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;” class=”mce_SELRES_start”></span>

pictured above: Bleeding Blossoms, Teleidoscopes, Density Tower

11. Absorption 2 Ways

• Bleeding Blossoms Explore capillary action and absorption in this science meets art project.
• Magical Water Blossoms Make beautiful blossoming paper flowers with the help of absorption. This project has a simple wow moment that everyone enjoys watching.

12.  Teleidoscopes

A teleidoscope is a kaliedoscpe without an end. This means you can use it to view anything and everything. Look through one of these and you will be amazed!

13. Density Towers 2 Ways:

Yes, you can layer liquids on top of each other without them mixing! This is a classic project and kids can customize the liquids they choose to layer.

• Simple Layered Liquids Learn how to make a simple density tower out of kitchen ingredients and then turn it into a lava lamp!
• Glowing Density Tower This density tower has a bonus science surprise: it glows under UV light!

14.  Magnet Magic

Make a simple hanging magnet structure and explore the magic of magnetism.

pictured above: Chromatography Art, Dry Erase Figure, Overnight Crystals

15. Make a Lemon Battery and a Lime Light

Did you know that a chemical reaction can generate electricity?

16.  Electric Playdough

AKA Squishy Circuits, this project will demonstrate that salt and water conduct electricity!

17. Simple Sound Science

Explore the science of sound with these 4 experiments, then use your knowledge to make your own DIY instrument!

pictured above: Magnetic Sensory Bottle, Magical Plastic Bag, Cartesian Divers

18.  Magnetic Field Sensory Bottle

This will surely be a hit at the Science Fair! Watch metal particles dance and move under the influence of powerful magnets!

19.  Magical Plastic Bag Experiment

It’s not magic, it’s polymers! This easy science fair project uses a minimum of materials but demonstrates how everyday polymers work.

20.  Cartesian Divers

A classic science experiment exploring buoyancy. Make “diver” swim up and down in a bottle using science.

21. Water Drop Microscope

Did you know you can make simple microscope from a plastic bottle and water? This project teaches kids to turn trash into a science tool!

22. Spinning Tops

Learn about centrifugal force and friction with one of these three spinning tops ideas!

• Spin Art Tops
• Spin-finite Tops
• Perler Bead Tops

23. Kinetic Sculpture

Make you own moving sculpture while learning about cams and gears!

<span data-mce-type=”bookmark” style=”display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;” class=”mce_SELRES_start”></span>

Science Fair Projects for 5th Grade and up

pictured above: Crystal landscapes, Tiny Dancers, Coffee Can Camera Obscura

24. Crystals 3 Ways:

• Overnight Crystals Grow Epsom salt crystals overnight in your refrigerator.
• Crystal Wind Catchers Borax crystals are SUPER easy to grow! Turn them into a lovely dangling wind catcher.
• Crystal Landscapes A more advanced crystal growing experiment using bluing and salt but WOW, these are gorgeous!

25.  Tiny Dancers

These are actually a very simple motor! Kids will learn about electromagnetism by building this motor that can “dance.”

26.  Coffee Can Camera Obscura

Make a simple camera obscura out of an old coffee can.

pictured above: Heat Sensitive Slime, Levitating Pen

27. Heat Sensitive Slime

Click your slime chemistry up a notch by adding in thermochromic paint!

28.  Levitating Pen

Make a pen appear to levitate using a magnet!

29.  Newton’s Cradle

Featured on Dude Perfect! I made one of these for the science fair back in the 1980’s…This science “toy” is mesmerizing for kids and adults alike!

pictured above: Electromagnetic Train, Fake Lung, Articulated Hand

30.  Electromagnetic Train

Incredible display of electricity and magnetism!

31.  Fake Lung

For kids interested in life science and biology, make a model of how our lungs work for the science fair.

32.  Articulated Hand

Another one for biology oriented kids, explore how our joints move by creating an articulated hand.

33. Salty Circuits

In this simple circuit project, kids will create an electrical circuit using salt to conduct electricity and power a light emitting diode (LED).

Are you ready for the science fair?

Whether your child has never participated in the science fair or is an old pro, I hope the science fair projects here will inspire them to have fun, explore science, and get creative the same time.

And if you still need MORE ideas I also have a giant list of chemistry projects for kids that would make amazing science fair starter projects!

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Classroom Callouts

Where Education Meets Fun!

10 Easy Science Fair Experiments for Kids, Parents and Teachers

Welcome to our collection of 10 easy science fair experiments for kids ! These hands-on activities are perfect for sparking curiosity and making learning fun. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or young scientist, these experiments—from erupting volcanoes to DIY lava lamps—are designed to be simple, engaging, and educational. With a little help from an adult, you can dive into the world of science and discover how exciting it can be.

1. Erupting Volcano Experiment

Introduction: Welcome to our exciting science fair project—creating your very own erupting volcano! This experiment is perfect for first and second graders to learn about chemical reactions in a fun and spectacular way. You’ll need an adult to help with some steps, so make sure to have a grown-up nearby!

Objective: To observe and understand the chemical reaction between baking soda and vinegar that causes a volcanic eruption.

• 1 small plastic bottle (500 ml)
• Baking soda (60 grams)
• Vinegar (200 ml)
• Dish soap (5 ml)
• Red food coloring (a few drops)
• Modeling clay or playdough (enough to cover the bottle and form a mountain)
• A tray or shallow container (to catch the overflow)
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Safety goggles (optional, for extra fun and safety)

Hypothesis: Predict what will happen when you mix baking soda, vinegar, and a few other ingredients in your model volcano. Do you think it will erupt like a real volcano?

• Place the plastic bottle on the tray. This is your volcano’s “magma chamber.”
• Use the modeling clay or playdough to shape a mountain around the bottle. Leave the top open so you can add your ingredients.
• Get creative with the shape and details of your volcano!
• In a separate cup, mix together 200 ml of vinegar, 5 ml of dish soap, and a few drops of red food coloring to create your “lava.” This will help make the eruption more colorful and bubbly.
• Pour the vinegar mixture into the bottle in your volcano.
• Add 60 grams of baking soda to the bottle and quickly step back to watch your volcano erupt!

Observation: Watch closely what happens when the baking soda meets the vinegar mixture. You should see a foamy and fizzy eruption that looks like lava flowing down the sides of your volcano.

Results: Record what you observed. Was the eruption slow and steady, or quick and explosive? How high did the “lava” flow?

Conclusion: Explain why the reaction happened using simple science. When baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) mix, they create carbon dioxide gas, which builds up pressure until it forces the liquid out in an eruption. This is similar to what happens in a real volcano, where gases build up pressure underground.

Further Experimentation:

Try the experiment again using different amounts of vinegar or baking soda. Does changing the amounts change how your volcano erupts?

This experiment not only teaches you about chemical reactions but also lets you create a mini spectacle at home or at your science fair. Have fun being a young scientist and remember to clean up after your experiment!

2. Floating Egg Experiment

Introduction: Dive into the fascinating world of density with the Floating Egg Experiment! This simple yet intriguing project is perfect for first and second graders to explore how different solutions affect whether an object sinks or floats. This experiment will need a bit of adult help, so make sure you have a grown-up to assist you!

Objective: To understand how the addition of salt to water changes its density and affects the buoyancy of an egg.

• Tap water (about 500 ml)
• Table salt (about 60 grams)
• 1 large clear glass or jar
• Measuring spoons
• Stirring spoon

Hypothesis: Before you begin, think about whether you believe the egg will float in plain water and what might happen when you add salt to the water. Write down your guess.

• Fill the glass or jar with 500 ml of tap water.
• Gently place the raw egg into the glass of plain water and observe what happens. Does it sink or float?
• Remove the egg carefully.
• Add 60 grams of salt to the water. Stir well until the salt is completely dissolved.
• Once the salt is dissolved, gently place the egg back into the saltwater solution. Observe what happens this time.

Observation: Note down what you see. How does the egg behave in plain water compared to the saltwater?

Results: Record your findings. Did the egg float in the saltwater? Was there a difference in how it behaved in the plain water compared to the saltwater?

Conclusion: Explain why the results occurred based on density. In plain water, the egg sinks because its density is higher than that of plain water. When you add salt to the water, it increases the water’s density, making it denser than the egg, which now floats.

You can experiment further by changing the amount of salt added to the water or trying different liquids like sugar water. See how these changes affect the egg’s buoyancy.

This experiment not only teaches you about the principles of density and buoyancy but also shows you how different solutions can change the behavior of objects in water. Have fun experimenting, and remember to ask questions and think about why things happen the way they do!

3. Rainbow Milk Experiment

Introduction: Get ready to create a swirling rainbow with the Rainbow Milk Experiment! This visually stunning project is ideal for young scientists in the first or second grade to explore the effects of soap on milk and food coloring. You’ll need some help from an adult, so be sure to have one nearby!

Objective: To observe how dish soap interacts with the fat in milk, causing movement in the food coloring that creates a rainbow effect.

• A shallow dish or plate
• Whole milk (enough to cover the bottom of the dish)
• Food coloring (various colors)
• Cotton swabs
• A dropper or small spoon

Hypothesis: Think about what you expect to happen when you add dish soap to the milk with food coloring. Do you think the colors will move, mix, or stay still? Write down your guess.

• Pour enough whole milk into the dish to just cover the bottom.
• Carefully add drops of different food coloring to the milk. Place them around the dish but not too close to each other.
• Dip a cotton swab into dish soap, ensuring it’s not dripping but wet with soap.
• Gently touch the soaped swab to the surface of the milk in the center of the dish or near one of the food coloring drops.

Observation: Watch what happens when the soapy cotton swab touches the milk. Look for any movement of the food coloring and how it interacts with the milk.

Results: Record what you see. Describe the movement and mixing of the colors. How did the dish soap affect the behavior of the food coloring in the milk?

Conclusion: Explain the science behind what you saw. The soap breaks the surface tension of the milk and reacts with its fats, creating movement that pushes the food coloring around. This movement shows how substances like soap can change the physical properties of other liquids like milk.

Try the experiment again using different types of milk (like skim or 2%) to see if the fat content affects the reaction. You can also use different detergents or soaps to see if they cause different patterns or movements in the milk.

This experiment is not only a beautiful display of colors but also a great lesson in chemistry and physics, showing how different substances interact in surprising and colorful ways. Enjoy creating your milk art, and don’t forget to clean up when you’re done!

 4. Baking Soda and Vinegar Rocket

Introduction: Blast off into the world of chemical reactions with the Baking Soda and Vinegar Rocket Experiment! This exciting activity is perfect for first and second graders eager to see science in action. You’ll need some adult supervision, so make sure a grown-up is ready to help with the fun!

Objective: To demonstrate the reaction between baking soda and vinegar and observe how this reaction can propel a homemade rocket.

• 1 small plastic film canister with a tight-fitting lid (or any small container with a pop-on lid that seals well)
• Baking soda (5 grams)
• Vinegar (30 ml)
• Tissue paper
• Safety goggles (to protect your eyes)
• An open space for launching your rocket (like a backyard or park)

Hypothesis: Predict what will happen when baking soda and vinegar mix inside your rocket canister. Think about how it might affect the canister and what the reaction will be like. Write down your prediction.

• Go outside or to a well-ventilated area where you can safely launch the rocket.
• Wrap the 5 grams of baking soda tightly in a small piece of tissue paper. This packet will help delay the reaction, giving you time to close the lid.
• Pour 30 ml of vinegar into the film canister.
• Quickly drop the baking soda packet into the canister with vinegar.
• Snap the lid on tightly and quickly place the canister on the ground, lid side down.
• Step back and watch what happens!

Observation: Observe the canister as the reaction happens. What do you see and hear? How high does the rocket go?

Results: Record the outcome of your experiment. Was the launch successful? How high did your rocket fly? Did it happen as you predicted?

Conclusion: Explain why the rocket moved. The reaction between baking soda (a base) and vinegar (an acid) produces carbon dioxide gas. This gas builds up pressure inside the canister until the lid pops off, pushing the rocket into the air. This is an example of Newton’s Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Experiment with different amounts of vinegar and baking soda to see if it affects how high your rocket goes. You can also try different sizes of containers to see how they change the reaction.

This experiment is not only a thrilling demonstration of a chemical reaction but also a fun way to learn about forces and motion. Make sure to conduct it in a safe environment and wear your safety goggles to protect your eyes. Enjoy your scientific journey into rocketry!

5. Magnetic Magic – Magnetic Poles and Fields Experiment

Introduction: Explore the invisible world of magnetism with this engaging experiment! Perfect for first and second graders, this activity will help you understand how magnets work, focusing on the poles and the magnetic fields they create. You’ll need some common items from home or school and the help of an adult to guide you through.

Objective: To explore and visualize the magnetic field lines around bar and horseshoe magnets and understand the interactions between the different poles of magnets.

• 1 bar magnet (with North and South poles labeled)
• 1 horseshoe magnet (with North and South poles labeled)
• Iron filings
• A sheet of white paper
• A tray or cardboard to contain any mess
• A compass (optional, for further exploration)

Hypothesis: Before you start, think about what you might see when you sprinkle iron filings around the magnets. What do you think will happen when the North pole of one magnet is near the South pole of another? Write down your guess.

• Place the sheet of white paper on the tray or cardboard to keep your workspace clean.
• Lay the bar magnet and the horseshoe magnet on the paper. Start with them a good distance apart so their fields don’t overlap immediately.
• Gently sprinkle iron filings around and between the magnets. Be careful not to bump the table as the filings align themselves along the magnetic field lines.
• Look at how the iron filings arrange themselves around each magnet. Notice the patterns they form. These lines show the magnetic fields emanating from the poles.
• Slowly move the North pole of one magnet towards the South pole of the other. Observe how the iron filings react. Do the same with like poles (North to North or South to South) and note any differences.

Observation: Record what happens to the iron filings as you move the magnets. How do the patterns change? What does this tell you about how the magnetic poles interact?

Results: Describe the arrangement of iron filings and what it indicates about the magnetic fields. Note any changes when different poles are near each other.

Conclusion: Explain your observations in terms of magnetic poles and fields. Magnets attract when opposite poles are near each other and repel when like poles are close. The iron filings align themselves along the lines of magnetic force, visibly showing the shape of the magnetic fields.

Try using a compass to see how the needle aligns with the magnetic fields. You can also test different materials to see if they are influenced by the magnets, like clips, aluminum foil, or copper wire.

This experiment not only teaches you about magnetism but also lets you see the invisible forces at play. Have fun exploring and always make sure to clean up your space when you are done!

6. DIY Lava Lamp Experiment

Introduction: Ready to light up your curiosity with a colorful DIY Lava Lamp? This experiment is fantastic for young scientists in first or second grade to explore the interactions between oil, water, and effervescent tablets. This safe and simple project is sure to dazzle and teach important scientific concepts with a bit of adult help.

Objective: To understand the effects of density and chemical reactions by creating a homemade lava lamp.

• 1 clear plastic bottle (1 liter)
• Water (about 400 ml)
• Vegetable oil (about 600 ml)
• Food coloring (any color you like)
• Effervescent tablets (like Alka-Seltzer)
• Flashlight (optional, for effect)

Hypothesis: Think about what will happen when you mix oil, water, and the effervescent tablet in the bottle. Predict how the ingredients will interact and what will happen when you add the tablet.

• Fill the clear plastic bottle with 400 ml of water.
• Slowly pour 600 ml of vegetable oil into the bottle, allowing it to layer on top of the water.
• Add a few drops of food coloring to the bottle. The drops will pass through the oil and mix with the water below.
• Break an effervescent tablet into a few pieces.
• Drop one piece into the bottle and watch as the lava lamp effect begins. The tablet reacts with the water to create gas bubbles that rise and fall through the oil.
• Shine a flashlight through the bottom of the bottle to enhance the visual effect, especially in a dim room.

Observation: Watch the bubbles of colored water rise and fall in the oil as the gas bubbles form and pop. Note how the oil and water do not mix.

Results: Describe what you see when the effervescent tablet reacts in the water and how it affects the oil and water mixture.

Conclusion: Explain the science behind the lava lamp. The water and oil separate due to their different densities, with oil being less dense and sitting on top of the water. The effervescent tablet reacts with the water to create carbon dioxide gas, which carries the colored water up through the oil until the gas escapes at the top.

Try using different amounts of oil or water, different colors of food coloring, or different types of effervescent tablets to see how it changes the reaction.

This experiment not only makes for an eye-catching display but also helps understand concepts like density, solubility, and gas formation. Have fun watching your very own lava lamp glow!

 7. Dancing Raisins Experiment

Introduction: Get ready to watch raisins dance in this fun and simple science experiment perfect for young students in first or second grade. This activity demonstrates the principles of buoyancy and gas production in a way that’s both entertaining and educational, with just a bit of adult supervision needed.

Objective: To observe and understand why raisins move up and down in a fizzy liquid due to the formation of gas bubbles.

• 1 clear glass or transparent plastic cup
• Plain water (enough to fill the glass three-quarters)
• Carbonated clear soda (enough to fill the glass)
• Several raisins (4-6)
• A stopwatch or timer (optional, to record the duration of the dance)

Hypothesis: Before starting, predict what will happen when you drop raisins into the soda. Do you think they will sink, float, or dance? Write down your guess.

• Fill the glass three-quarters with plain water and top it off with carbonated soda to make the liquid fizzy.
• Carefully drop 4 to 6 raisins into the glass of fizzy liquid.
• Watch what happens to the raisins for the next few minutes. Observe how they move in the glass.

Results: Record your observations. Do the raisins sink, float, or dance up and down? How long do they continue moving?

Conclusion: Explain the results using the concept of buoyancy and gas production. The carbon dioxide bubbles from the soda attach to the rough surface of the raisins, making them buoyant enough to rise to the surface. Once they reach the top, the bubbles pop, and the raisins sink again. This cycle repeats, causing the dancing effect.

Experiment with different carbonated drinks or try other small, dried fruits or objects like corn kernels or small pasta shapes to see if they also dance. Explore how temperature affects the rate of dancing by using cold versus room temperature soda.

This experiment is a fantastic way for kids to visually grasp scientific concepts and enjoy the magic of simple chemical reactions. It’s perfect for a science fair project or a classroom activity!

8. Color-Changing Carnations

Introduction: Discover how flowers drink water with the Color-Changing Carnations Experiment! This visually stunning activity is perfect for first and second graders to learn about plant biology and capillary action in a fun and colorful way. It’s a simple experiment that requires some adult supervision.

Objective: To demonstrate how plants absorb water and nutrients up through their stems, using carnations and colored water.

• White carnations (several, depending on how many colors you want to test)
• Clear glasses or vases (one for each color)
• Food coloring in various colors
• Scissors (to be used by an adult)

Hypothesis: Predict what will happen when the carnations are placed in colored water. Which colors do you think will show up best in the petals?

• Have an adult trim the stems of the carnations at an angle to allow them to absorb water more efficiently.
• Fill each glass or vase with water and add about 20 drops of food coloring to each, choosing different colors for each container.
• Stir the water to evenly distribute the color.
• Place one carnation in each colored water vase.
• Observe the carnations daily to see how the color travels up the stem and changes the color of the petals.

Results: Record your observations over several days. Note the changes in the color of the petals and how quickly each color appears.

Conclusion: Explain how capillary action works in plants, drawing water and nutrients up through tiny tubes in the stem. The food coloring shows this process visually, changing the color of the carnations’ petals.

Try using different liquids like sports drinks or diluted inks to see if they affect the flowers differently. Experiment with other white flowers to see if they absorb colors faster or slower than the carnations.

9. Invisible Ink

Introduction: Send secret messages with the Invisible Ink Experiment! This project is a fantastic way for first and second graders to learn about chemical reactions and the properties of acids and bases, with just a bit of adult supervision for safety.

Objective: To use a natural acid (lemon juice) to write invisible messages that appear only when heated.

• Spoon or brush
• White paper
• Heat source (light bulb or hair dryer; an adult should handle this part)

Hypothesis: Guess what will happen when you heat the paper that has lemon juice on it. How do you think the message will appear?

• Squeeze lemon juice into a bowl and add a few drops of water.
• Dip the spoon or brush into the lemon juice mixture and write a message on the white paper.
• Allow the paper to dry completely, making the message invisible.
• Have an adult help you heat the paper using a light bulb or hair dryer. Watch as the message slowly appears.

Results: Record what happens when the paper is heated and how clearly the message shows up.

Conclusion: Explain why the lemon juice message appears when heated (lemon juice, being acidic, weakens the paper fibers slightly and caramelizes when heated, making it visible).

Experiment with other natural acids like orange juice or vinegar. Try different heating methods or papers to see which reveals the message most effectively.

10. Homemade Slime Experiment

Introduction: Get ready for gooey fun with the Homemade Slime Experiment! This engaging and tactile project is great for first and second graders to learn about polymers and non-Newtonian fluids. Adult supervision is recommended, especially when handling chemicals.

Objective: To create slime using simple household ingredients and explore its unique properties.

• White school glue (about 120 ml)
• Borax powder (2 teaspoons)
• Water (two cups)
• Food coloring (optional)
• Mixing bowl

Hypothesis: Predict what will happen when you mix glue, borax, and water. What kind of texture do you think your slime will have?

• In a mixing bowl, combine 120 ml of white glue and one cup of water. Add a few drops of food coloring if desired.
• In another container, dissolve 2 teaspoons of borax in one cup of warm water.
• Slowly add the borax solution to the glue mixture, stirring continuously.
• Keep stirring until the slime begins to form and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
• Take the slime out and knead it with your hands until it reaches the desired consistency.

Results: Describe the texture and behavior of your slime. Is it stretchy? Does it bounce?

Conclusion: Discuss the chemical reaction between the glue and borax that creates a polymer, which gives the slime its unique properties.

Try adding different amounts of borax or glue to see how it changes the slime’s properties. Add glitter, beads, or small toys to create different types of slime.

Each of these experiments offers a fun, educational way to engage with basic scientific concepts, perfect for young learners eager to explore the world through science.

That’s a Wrap!

Science is all about curiosity, discovery, and having fun while learning how the world works. Through these 10 experiments, young scientists have not only created colorful reactions and gooey slime but also gained a deeper understanding of important scientific principles. Whether it was watching a volcano erupt, making an egg float, or exploring the magnetic fields, each experiment has shown that science is everywhere—even in the simplest things around us. As you continue to explore and experiment, remember that the journey of discovery is just beginning. Keep asking questions, keep experimenting, and most importantly, keep having fun with science!

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25 Science Projects Ideas From Easy to Hard

By Alex Yang

Graduate student at Southern Methodist University

14 minute read

Science fairs can be invaluable experiences that help you explore a specific topic and also teach you the principles of scientific discovery. Science experiments also offer opportunities for you to showcase your creativity and can be a great springboard to further academic or career pursuits in STEM. An added bonus is that you usually have a finished product that you can proudly showcase to others and put on your resume.

However, it’s easy to get stuck on what science fair project to do as there are so many ideas to choose from. In this article we’ll go over 25 science fair project ideas that can hopefully provide some inspiration and also don’t require fancy or expensive materials. Want even more inspiration, explore our Project Ideas Generator and find the project idea perfect for you.

1. How Different Types of Light Affect Vitamin C Content in Fruits

This easy science fair project involves studying how different light sources affect the vitamin C content of fruits. You can expose samples of different fruits to varied light conditions, including natural sunlight, LED, and fluorescent light. Then, using some potassium iodide and a sheet of watercolor paper, you can measure the vitamin C content of the fruits. Here’s an article and video to help you with the vitamin C test .

Difficulty: Easy

Topic: Chemistry

Materials Needed: Fruits, light sources, ​​3% aque­ous so­lu­tion of io­dine in potas­si­um io­dide, a sheet of wa­ter­col­or pa­per, a cot­ton ball, a dis­pos­able plas­tic cup.

2. The Effects of Exercise on Heart Rate

This project investigates how different types of exercise impact heart rate. By measuring heart rate before, during, and after activities such as running, cycling, and jumping jacks, you can analyze how the heart and body respond to exercise and which movements push your heart rate the most. You can then do further research into the health sciences behind why certain exercises lead to a higher heart rate than others.

Topic: Kinesiology

Materials Needed: Stopwatch, heart rate monitor, or pulse oximeter if you have one (if not, you can just count your heartbeats)

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3. The Aerodynamics of Paper Airplanes

Learn about aerodynamic principles by observing the flight of paper airplanes. By constructing paper airplanes with different designs, including variations in wing shape, size, and folding techniques, you can analyze their flight performance and see what design flies the farthest or is airborne for the longest. After testing, you can explore further by presenting why the top design did well based on the science concept of aerodynamics, and how you would make the design even better.

Topics: Aerodynamics, Physics

Materials Needed: Paper, ruler, tape, stopwatch.

4. How Sleep Impacts Academic Performance

You can use yourself or your friends as test subjects for this experiment, where you analyze the correlation between sleep duration and academic performance. You can collect sleep data through your phone or a smart watch, and then have all test subjects take a test the next morning, and to repeat that for several days potentially. What’s important for this kind of project idea is that there are many other factors that could potentially impact test performance besides sleep, so in your experimental design you’ll have to use critical thinking to control other variables without jeopardizing the scientific method.

Difficulty: Medium

Topics: Psychology, neuroscience

Materials Needed: Phone or smartwatch, tests that you can give to subjects

5. How Urban Green Spaces Impact Mental Well-being

Conduct surveys or interviews in a city near you to assess the perceived benefits of urban green spaces (parks, gardens, etc.) on residents' mental health and well-being. Try to gain an understanding for why these spaces matter and how residents view them. How do parks and gardens impact the day to day life of city dwellers?

Topics: Psychology, urban planning

Materials Needed: Phone to record interviews

6. Design Your Own Hydroponic System

Construct a homemade hydroponic system using recycled materials and test its effectiveness. Hydroponics is soilless gardening that can be done either indoors or outdoors. Once you’ve made your hydroponic system you can then compare the growth rates and yields of the plants with traditional soil-based cultivation methods. Here’s an article on how to build a simple hydroponic , but we encourage you to also do your own earth science research while building!

Difficulty: Hard

Topics: Biology

Materials Needed: Recycled materials, twine, soda bottle, other inexpensive materials

7. Mindfulness to Reduce Smartphone Addiction

Investigate whether mindfulness exercises such as meditation can help reduce smartphone addiction. You can choose to focus on a particular mindfulness exercise and/or participant demographic. You can then lead these mindfulness exercises for participants and also measure participants' smartphone usage over a certain period of time. There are a ton of different choices you can make in terms of testing your hypothesis, so feel free to be creative with it!

Topics: Psychology

Materials Needed: Smartphones

8. Memory Enhancement Techniques

Compare the effectiveness of various memory enhancement techniques. You can start by researching popular techniques such as mnemonics, spaced repetition, and mind mapping so that you develop an understanding of how these techniques work. Then you can begin experimenting by gathering a group of subjects and creating a memory test. Remember to control other variables that could impact your data and carefully think through your experimental design to ensure it follows the scientific method.

Materials Needed: None

9. Build a Model Roller Coaster

If you’re a big fan of amusement parks this could be a great idea for you. Design and construct a model roller coaster using different materials like cardboard, foam tubes, and marbles. You can experiment with factors like height and angles to see what creates the most velocity for the coaster. Be sure to document how specific changes in factors affect the outcome of the roller coaster ride!

Topics: Physics

Materials Needed: Cardboard, foam tubes, marbles

10. Build a Model Suspension Bridge

Start out by sketching your bridge design on paper and looking up images of real suspension bridges for inspiration. From there you can begin to use your popsicle sticks and glue to construct the bridge. If you’re a bit stuck on how to prepare and construct the bridge, check out this Youtube video on how to build a suspension bridge . Once you’re done building your bridge you can then begin to test its stability and how it holds under pressure!

Materials Needed: Popsicle sticks or craft sticks (for the bridge deck and towers), string or thin wire (for the suspension cables), glue (such as wood glue or hot glue) scissors or craft knife, ruler or measuring tape, cardboard or sturdy base for the bridge foundation (optional)

11. Build a Wind Turbine to Generate Electricity

Through this engineering project you’ll gain hands-on experience with learning about renewable energy. You’ll start out by designing the turbine blades and frame, then install the generator and wire the generator. Once you’ve built your wind turbine you’ll want to test it in an environment with sufficient wind speed and observe how much electricity you’re able to generate! You can also experiment with the shape of the frame and blades to see if that changes the electrical output.

Topics: Physics, engineering, renewable energy

Materials Needed: PVC pipes or wooden dowels (for the turbine blades), DC motor or small generator, magnets, copper wire, bearings or bushings, PVC fittings or other materials for constructing the turbine, wire connectors, multimeter (for measuring voltage and current)

12. Analyzing Different Water Purification Methods

What would be the safest way to purify water if you were out in the wild? Evaluate the effectiveness of different water purification methods (filtration, boiling, chemical treatment, etc.) and discover which method performs the best. To test the initial quality of the water samples, use pH strips to find the initial pH of the water. Then perform the water purification method and measure the pH after to see if there’s a considerable change.

Topics: Chemistry

Materials Needed: Water source, containers to hold water, filtration materials like coffee filters, boiling apparatus, pH test strips

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13. How Soil Moisture Affects Plant Growth

Experiment with soil moisture levels to see how it affects the growth and development of plants. An easy way to do this would be to buy a lot of the same plant and grow them all at the same time but vary the soil moisture for each plant. You can decide the increments for how much you want to vary the soil by and from there measure plant growth to see if you can find a correlation. This is also a great idea to apply statistical analysis of your data.

Materials Needed: Plants, soil, water

14. The Impact of Light Pollution on Nocturnal Insect Populations

In this project you can first explore the concept of light pollution and what its effects are. From there you can research nocturnal insects and learn about their behaviors. The second part of the project involves conducting an experiment to see how nocturnal insect populations vary based on artificial light intensity. You can go to several different locations that have different artificial light intensities to see whether certain locations have a greater abundance of insects or a greater diversity. Keep in mind the tricky part of this experiment is how to collect the insects - there are various methods such as light traps or sticky traps that you can try.

Topics: Biology, zoology

15. Build a Solar Oven

Construct a solar oven using reflective materials such as aluminum foil. You can explore this article that explains step by step how to build the oven, but the basic idea is that you want to line the inner flap with aluminum foil so that the sun's rays reflect off of it and also create a small opening so that sunlight can come through. You can try heating up food in the middle of the day when the sun is directly overhead to see what happens!

Topics: Chemistry, Food Science

Materials Needed: Reflective material like aluminum foil, insulation (foam board, newspapers), heat-absorbing container, thermometer, food items for cooking.

16. How Temperature Affects Battery Performance

Explore how temperature affects the voltage output and lifespan of batteries. Select a variety of different batteries and expose them to different temperature conditions. You can also vary the length of time that the batteries are left in a given temperature. After, use a voltage meter to measure the output of the batteries. How does temperature impact the voltage output?

Topics: Electrochemistry, energy storage

Materials Needed: Multiple types of batteries, thermometer or temperature sensor, voltage meter or multimeter.

17. Testing the Strength of Different Types of Paper

Compare the strength of various types of paper (printer paper, construction paper, tissue paper). To do this you can either measure the force required to tear each type of paper ( tensile strength ) or just observe how difficult it is to tear. Record observations and also analyze the different materials used in each type of paper to hypothesize why the paper might be difficult or easy to tear.

Materials Needed: Different types of paper, ruler or measuring tape, weights or force gauge, clamps or clips.

18. Pendulums

In this easy science fair project, construct your own basic pendulum with string and a weight, and see how the length of a pendulum affects its period (the time it takes to complete one full swing). You can also conduct trials where pendulums of varying lengths are released from the same angle, or vary the angle from which the pendulum is released.

Materials Needed: Pendulum apparatus (can be as simple as a string and weight), stopwatch or timer, protractor for measuring angles.

19. DIY Catapults

In this project you’ll explore the principles of projectile motion and trajectory. Build a simple catapult or trebuchet and investigate how launch angle and projectile mass affect the trajectory of a launched object. If you want to take the project a step further and add a history component to it, explore a few various catapults that were used in ancient or medieval times and observe the differences in their launch angles and typical projectile masses. Were these catapults effective?

Materials Needed: Catapult or trebuchet construction materials (wood, rubber bands, etc.), objects that the catapult can launch, measuring tape or ruler.

20. Friction

Explore the concept of friction by pulling objects across different surfaces and measuring the frictional force. You can investigate how different surface textures impact how easy it is to pull the object across the surface. To take the science fair experiment to the next level you can share your findings about one real world application where the concept of friction is very important (think things like sports or transportation).

Materials Needed: Objects of different weights, various surfaces (e.g., wood, metal, sandpaper), force sensor or spring scale, ruler

21. Studying the Effects of Music on Stress Reduction

We all have our playlists or songs that help us relax, but how can we actually confirm that music actually plays a role in reducing stress? In this project you can conduct experiments where participants listen to different types of music (e.g., classical, jazz, nature sounds) and their physiological stress responses (e.g., heart rate, cortisol levels) are measured before and after listening to the music. Before conducting the experiment see if you can do some preliminary research on the topic and what other experiments have been done.

Materials Needed: A device to play, physiological monitoring equipment, stress assessment scales.

22. Ocean Acidification and Coral Bleaching

Study how ocean acidification, driven by increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, impacts coral reef ecosystems. You can also look into coral bleaching and learn how it’s also related to ocean acidification. This science activity can be a bit more focused on research rather than actual experimentation, but if you’d like to develop a model to demonstrate ocean acidification and see how carbon dioxide affects water we encourage you to do that as well.

Topic: Chemistry, marine biology

Materials Needed: Cups, water, acid base indicator, baking soda, vinegar

23. Studying the Effects of Deforestation on Local Climate Patterns

Learn how deforestation affects regional climate conditions such as temperature, precipitation, and humidity. Specifically, you can analyze satellite imagery to assess changes in land cover in deforested areas over time. To get you started, check out this article on how scientists have been tracking deforestation in the Amazon for decades .

Topic: Climate, environmental science

Materials Needed: Satellite imagery or aerial photographs

24. Investigating Sinkholes

Sinkholes may seem like a chaotic once in a lifetime phenomenon but there are actually geological processes involved in the formation of sinkholes. Explore these processes and their potential hazards to human settlements. To learn further you can research specific areas that are known to have a lot of sinkholes and try to understand why this occurs from a geological perspective.

Topic: Geology

25. How Color Affects Mood and Emotion Description

Explore whether different colors influence people's mood and emotional state. You can design experiments where participants are exposed to different colors through images or objects and their mood responses are measured with self-reported scales or surveys. Analyze data and see if you can find any patterns. The more subjects you have in your experiment the better!

Topic: Psychology

Materials Needed: Images or objects that show mainly one color

How to Showcase Your Science Fair Project

Once you’ve completed your science fair project you can obviously present it at your local or school science fair, but we highly encourage you to also enter your project and findings for a bigger competition. There are so many great regional and national competitions where you can submit your work, and we’ve compiled the ultimate guide below based on science topic. Keep in mind that many of these competitions have very specific submission guidelines, so you might have to adjust the format of your project slightly to fit the rules

Top 8 Neuroscience Competitions for High School and Middle School Students

Top 9 Physics Competitions for High School Students

The 10 Best Chemistry Competitions for High School Students

10 Best Engineering Competitions for High School Students

Top Psychology Competitions For High School and Middle School Students

Still Stuck On What Idea to Choose?

Work with a Polygence research program mentor who can help you brainstorm the right idea for you. From there they can help you with executing your project and making sure you’re on track to finish by your deadline. If you’re interested, apply for our flagship mentorship program !

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20 Easy Science Fair Experiments That Will Blow Your Kid’s Mind!  

  July 28, 2024

By   maipham

Hello, parents! 🧪 Are you ready to help your budding scientist shine at their next science fair? We’ve compiled a list of 20 easy science fair experiments that are fun, educational, and sure to impress. These projects use simple materials and clear instructions, making them perfect for a quick and stress-free science fair preparation.

1. The Magical Milk Experiment

This experiment uses common household items to create mesmerizing patterns, illustrating chemical reactions and surface tension.

Materials needed: Plate of milk, food coloring, dish soap, cotton swab

Instruction: Add drops of food coloring to the milk, dip the cotton swab in dish soap, and touch the swab to the milk’s surface.

Result: The colors will swirl and dance, demonstrating the effects of surface tension.

2. The Balloon Rocket Race

Teaches principles of air pressure and propulsion in a fun and interactive way.

Materials needed: Balloon, straw, string, tape

Instruction: Thread the string through the straw, tape the balloon to the straw, and release the air in the balloon.

Result: The balloon propels along the string, showcasing basic physics principles.

3. The Invisible Ink Mystery

A fun introduction to oxidation and acid-base reactions, perfect for young detectives.

Materials needed: Lemon juice, water, cotton swab, paper, heat source (lamp)

Instruction: Write a message with lemon juice and water, let it dry, then heat the paper to reveal the message.

Result: The heat causes the lemon juice to oxidize and turn brown, revealing the hidden message.

4. The Plant Maze Challenge

Demonstrates phototropism and plant behavior in an engaging way.

Materials needed: Cardboard, small potted plant, light source

Instruction: Create a maze with cardboard, place the plant at one end, and observe how it grows towards the light over several days.

Result: The plant will navigate the maze, illustrating how plants respond to light.

5. The Classic Volcano Eruption

A timeless favorite that vividly demonstrates chemical reactions.

Materials needed: Clay or paper mache, baking soda, vinegar, red food coloring.

Instruction: Build a volcano, add baking soda inside, and pour vinegar mixed with red food coloring.

Result: A bubbly, colorful eruption showcasing a basic chemical reaction.

6. The Rainbow in a Glass

A visually stunning way to learn about density and layering of liquids.

Materials needed: Sugar, water, food coloring, clear glass

Instruction: Dissolve different amounts of sugar in separate cups of water, add food coloring, and layer the solutions in a glass.

Result: The layers of colored water remain separate due to differences in density, creating a rainbow effect.

7. The Egg Drop Challenge

Teaches engineering principles and problem-solving skills.

Materials needed: Eggs, various household materials (straws, tape, cotton balls, etc.)

Instruction: Build a protective structure around the egg and drop it from a height to see if it survives.

Result: Encourages creative thinking and understanding of impact forces and cushioning.

8. The Skittles Color Wheel

A simple yet colorful experiment demonstrating how different substances dissolve in water.

Materials needed: Skittles, water, white plate

Instruction: Arrange Skittles in a circle on a plate, add a small amount of water, and watch the colors spread.

Result: The colors will dissolve and create a vibrant wheel, illustrating solubility and diffusion.

9. The Static Electricity Butterfly

A fun way to explore static electricity using everyday items.

Materials needed: Tissue paper, balloon, scissors

Instruction: Cut a butterfly shape from tissue paper, rub the balloon on your hair to create static, and hold it near the butterfly.

Result: The butterfly will move and stick to the balloon, showing how static electricity works.

10. The Homemade Lava Lamp

A fascinating way to demonstrate density and chemical reactions.

Materials needed: Clear bottle, water, vegetable oil, food coloring, Alka-Seltzer tablets

Instruction: Fill the bottle with water and oil, add food coloring, and drop in an Alka-Seltzer tablet.

Result: The mixture will bubble and create a lava lamp effect, illustrating density and gas release.

11. The Solar Oven

A practical project that teaches about solar energy and heat absorption.

Materials needed: Cardboard box, aluminum foil, plastic wrap, black construction paper

Instruction: Line the box with foil, place black paper at the bottom, cover with plastic wrap, and angle towards the sun.

Result: The inside of the box will heat up, cooking simple items like s’mores, demonstrating the power of solar energy.

12. The Dancing Raisins

Shows the effects of carbonation and buoyancy in a fun and easy way.

Materials needed: Clear glass, water, baking soda, vinegar, raisins

Instruction: Mix water, baking soda, and vinegar in a glass, then add raisins.

Result: The raisins will move up and down as the carbon dioxide gas bubbles attach and detach from them.

13. The Magic Mud

Introduces non-Newtonian fluids with a hands-on experiment.

Materials needed: Cornstarch, water, food coloring (optional)

Instruction: Mix cornstarch and water until it forms a thick paste; add food coloring if desired.

Result: The mixture behaves as both a solid and a liquid, showing unique properties of non-Newtonian fluids.

14. The Lemon Battery

Demonstrates basic principles of electricity and circuits.

Materials needed: Lemons, copper coins, zinc nails, wires, small LED light

Instruction: Insert a coin and a nail into each lemon, connect them with wires, and attach the LED light.

Result: The light will turn on, showing how chemical energy can be converted to electrical energy.

15. The Water Density Tower

An easy way to understand the concept of density using household liquids.

Materials needed: Honey, dish soap, water, vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol, food coloring, clear glass

Instruction: Layer the liquids in a glass in the order of their densities, adding food coloring to each layer.

Result: The liquids will form distinct layers, illustrating differences in density.

16. The Paper Towel Strength Test

A practical experiment that tests the strength and absorbency of different paper towel brands.

Materials needed: Various paper towel brands, water, weights

Instruction: Wet each towel and hang it, then gradually add weights until it breaks.

Result: Demonstrates the strength and durability of different paper towels.

17. The Homemade Slime

A fun and tactile way to explore chemical reactions.

Materials needed: Glue, baking soda, contact lens solution, food coloring

Instruction: Mix glue and baking soda, add food coloring, and slowly add contact lens solution until the mixture becomes slime.

Result: Creates a stretchy, gooey substance, perfect for hands-on learning about polymers.

18. The Crystal Garden

A beautiful experiment that teaches about crystallization.

Materials needed: Water, salt (or another crystal-forming substance like sugar or Epsom salt), food coloring, sponge, shallow dish or bowl

Instruction: Dissolve salt in water, soak the sponge in the solution, and place it in a dish. Add food coloring if desired.

Result: Crystals will form on the sponge as the water evaporates, showing how crystals grow.

19. The Bubble Snake

An easy and fun way to explore bubble formation.

Materials needed: Plastic bottle, sock, dish soap, water, food coloring

Instruction: Cut the bottom off the bottle, cover with a sock, dip in soapy water, and blow through the mouthpiece.

Result: Creates long, colorful bubble snakes, illustrating surface tension and bubble formation.

20. The Baking Soda and Vinegar Rocket

A thrilling experiment that demonstrates chemical reactions and propulsion.

Materials needed: Small plastic film canister, baking soda, vinegar, tissue paper

Instruction: Fill the canister with vinegar, wrap baking soda in tissue paper, drop it in, and quickly close the lid.

Result: The canister will launch into the air as the baking soda and vinegar react, creating gas and pressure.

Which one will you choose?

Science fairs are a fantastic opportunity for kids to explore the wonders of science in a hands-on and engaging way. These 20 easy science fair experiments are designed to be simple, educational, and fun, using everyday materials you likely already have at home. By guiding your child through these projects, you’ll not only help them learn important scientific principles but also inspire a lifelong love of discovery and curiosity.

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